Judges 3 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Idolatry Leads to Servitude

1 Now these ^H428 are the nations ^H1471 that the LORD ^H3068 left ^H5117, to test ^H5254 Israel ^H3478 by them (that is, all ^H3605 the Israelites who ^H834 had not [fn]experienced ^H3045 any ^H3605 of the wars ^H4421 of Canaan ^H3667;

2 only ^H7534 in ^H4616 order ^H4616 that ^H4616 the generations ^H1755 of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 might [fn]be taught ^H3925 war ^H4421, [fn]those ^H7534 who ^H834 had not [fn]experienced ^H3045 it previously ^H6440). 3 These nations are: the five ^H2568 governors ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 and all ^H3605 the Canaanites ^H3669 and the Sidonians ^H6722, and the Hivites ^H2340 who lived ^H3427 on Mount ^H2022 Lebanon ^H3844, from Mount ^H2022 Baal-hermon ^H1179 as far ^H5704 as [fn]Lebo-hamath ^H935. 4 They were left to test ^H5254 Israel ^H3478 by them, to find ^H3045 out ^H3045 if they would [fn]obey ^H8085 the commandments ^H4687 of the LORD ^H3068, which ^H834 He had commanded ^H6680 their fathers ^H1 [fn]through ^H3027 Moses ^H4872. 5 The sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 lived ^H3427 among ^H7130 the Canaanites ^H3669, the Hittites ^H2850, the Amorites ^H567, the Perizzites ^H6522, the Hivites ^H2340, and the Jebusites ^H2983; 6 and they took ^H3947 their daughters ^H1323 for themselves as wives ^H802, and gave ^H5414 their own daughters ^H1323 to their sons ^H1121, and served ^H5647 their gods ^H430.

7 So the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 did ^H6213 what ^H7451 was ^H7451 evil ^H7451 in the sight ^H5869 of the LORD ^H3068, and they forgot ^H7911 the LORD ^H3068 their God ^H430 and served ^H5647 the Baals ^H1168 and the [fn]Asheroth ^H842. 8 Then the anger ^H639 of the LORD ^H3068 was kindled ^H2734 against Israel ^H3478, so that He sold ^H4376 them into the hand ^H3027 of Cushan-rishathaim ^H3573, king ^H4428 of [fn]Mesopotamia ^H763; and the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 served ^H5647 Cushan-rishathaim ^H3573 for eight ^H8083 years ^H8141.

The First Judge Frees Israel

9 But the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 cried ^H2199 out ^H2199 to the LORD ^H3068, and the LORD ^H3068 raised ^H6965 up ^H6965 a deliverer ^H3467 for the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 to set ^H3467 them free ^H3467, Othniel ^H6274 the son ^H1121 of Kenaz ^H7073, Caleb’s ^H3612 younger ^H6996 H4480 brother ^H251. 10 And the Spirit ^H7307 of the LORD ^H3068 came ^H1961 upon him, and he judged ^H8199 Israel ^H3478. When he went ^H3318 to war ^H4421, the LORD ^H3068 handed ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to him Cushan-rishathaim ^H3573 king ^H4428 of [fn]Mesopotamia ^H763, so that [fn]he prevailed ^H5810 H3027 over ^H5921 Cushan-rishathaim ^H3573. 11 Then the land ^H776 was ^H8252 at ^H8252 rest ^H8252 for forty ^H705 years ^H8141. And Othniel ^H6274 the son ^H1121 of Kenaz ^H7073 died ^H4191.

12 Now the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 again ^H3254 did ^H6213 evil ^H7451 in the sight ^H5869 of the LORD ^H3068. So the LORD ^H3068 strengthened ^H2388 Eglon ^H5700 the king ^H4428 of Moab ^H4124 against ^H5921 Israel ^H3478, because ^H5921 H3588 they had done ^H6213 evil ^H7451 in the sight ^H5869 of the LORD ^H3068. 13 And he gathered ^H622 to himself the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 and Amalek ^H6002; and he went ^H1980 and [fn]defeated ^H5221 Israel ^H3478, and they took ^H3423 possession ^H3423 of the city ^H5892 of the palm ^H8558 trees ^H8558. 14 And the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 served ^H5647 Eglon ^H5700 the king ^H4428 of Moab ^H4124 for eighteen ^H8083 H6240 years ^H8141.

Ehud Kills Eglon

15 But when the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 cried ^H2199 out ^H2199 to the LORD ^H3068, the LORD ^H3068 raised ^H6965 up ^H6965 a deliverer ^H3467 for them, Ehud ^H164 the son ^H1121 of Gera ^H1617, the Benjaminite ^H1145, a left-handed ^{H334 H3225 H3027} man ^H376. And the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 sent ^H7971 tribute ^H4503 by [fn]him to Eglon ^H5700 the king ^H4428 of Moab ^H4124.

16 Now Ehud ^H164 made ^H6213 himself a sword ^H2719 which had two ^H8147 edges ^H6310, a cubit ^H1574 in length ^H753, and he strapped ^H2296 it on his right ^H3225 thigh ^H3409 under ^H8478 his cloak ^H4055. 17 Then he presented ^H7126 the tribute ^H4503 to Eglon ^H5700 king ^H4428 of Moab ^H4124. Now Eglon ^H5700 was a very ^H3966 fat ^H1277 man ^H376. 18 And it came ^H1961 about ^H1961, when ^H834 he had finished ^H3615 presenting ^H7126 the tribute ^H4503, that Ehud sent ^H7971 away ^H7971 the people ^H5971 who had carried ^H5375 the tribute ^H4503. 19 But he himself ^H1931 turned ^H7725 back ^H7725 from the idols ^H6456 which ^H834 were at Gilgal ^H1537, and said ^H559, “I have a secret ^H5643 message ^H1697 for you, O king ^H4428.” And the king said ^H559, “Silence ^H2013!” And all ^H3605 who were attending ^H5975 him left ^H3318 him. 20 Then Ehud ^H164 came ^H935 to him while he was sitting ^H3427 in his cool ^H4747 roof ^H5944 chamber ^H5944 alone ^H905. And Ehud ^H164 said ^H559, “I have a message ^H1697 from God ^H430 for you.” And he got ^H6965 up ^H6965 from his seat ^H3678. 21 Then Ehud ^H164 reached ^H7971 out ^H7971 with his left ^H8040 hand ^H8040 and took ^H3947 the sword ^H2719 from his right ^H3225 thigh ^H3409, and thrust ^H8628 it into his belly ^H990. 22 The hilt ^H5325 of the sword also ^H1571 went ^H935 in ^H935 after ^H310 the blade ^H3851, and the fat ^H2459 closed ^H5462 over ^H5704 the blade ^H3851 because ^H3588 he did not pull ^H8025 the sword ^H2719 out ^H8025 of his belly ^H990; and [fn]the refuse ^H6574 came ^H3318 out ^H3318. 23 Then Ehud ^H164 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 into the [fn]vestibule ^H4528, and shut ^H5462 the doors ^H1817 of the roof ^H5944 chamber ^H5944 behind ^H1157 him, and locked ^H5274 them.

24 When he had left ^H3318, [fn]the king’s servants ^H5650 came ^H935 and looked ^H7200, and behold ^H2009, the doors ^H1817 of the roof ^H5944 chamber ^H5944 were locked ^H5274; and they said ^H559, “Undoubtedly ^H389 he is [fn]relieving ^H5526 H7272 himself in the cool ^H4747 room ^H2315.” 25 So they waited ^H3176 [fn]until ^H5704 it would have been ^H954 shameful ^H954 to wait longer; but behold ^H2009, he did not open ^H6605 the doors ^H1817 of the roof ^H5944 chamber ^H5944. So they took ^H3947 the key ^H4668 and opened ^H6605 them, and behold ^H2009, their master ^H113 had fallen ^H5307 to the [fn]floor ^H776 dead ^H4191.

26 Now Ehud ^H164 escaped ^H4422 while ^H5704 they were hesitating ^H4102, and he passed ^H5674 by ^H5674 the idols ^H6456 and escaped ^H4422 to Seirah ^H8167. 27 And [fn]when he arrived ^H935, he blew ^H8628 the trumpet ^H7782 in the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 of Ephraim ^H669; and the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 went ^H3381 down ^H3381 with him from the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022, and he was [fn]leading ^H6440 them. 28 Then he said ^H559 to them, “Pursue ^H7291 H310 them, for the LORD ^H3068 has handed ^H5414 H3027 your enemies ^H340 the Moabites ^H4124 over ^H5414 to you.” So they went ^H3381 down ^H3381 after ^H310 him and took ^H3920 control ^H3920 of the crossing ^H4569 places ^H4569 of the Jordan ^H3383 opposite Moab ^H4124, and did not allow ^H5414 anyone ^H376 to cross ^H5674. 29 They struck ^H5221 and ^H5221 killed ^H5221 about ten ^H6235 thousand ^H505 Moabites ^H4124 at that time ^H6256, all ^H3605 robust ^H8082 and valiant ^H2428 men ^H376; and no ^H3808 one ^H376 escaped ^H4422. 30 So Moab ^H4124 was subdued ^H3665 that day ^H3117 under ^H8478 the hand ^H3027 of Israel ^H3478. And the land ^H776 was ^H8252 at ^H8252 rest ^H8252 for eighty ^H8084 years ^H8141.

Shamgar Saves Israel

31 Now after ^H310 him came ^H1961 Shamgar ^H8044 the son ^H1121 of Anath ^H6067, who struck ^H5221 and ^H5221 killed ^H5221 six ^H8337 hundred ^H3967 Philistines ^H6430 with an [fn]oxgoad ^H4451; and he also ^H1571 saved ^H3467 Israel ^H3478.